Podcasts about doubts about

In this episode, the hosts conclude their discussion on the Deanna Stevenson murder trial with special guest Kiah from the Stand Our Ground podcast. They focus on the former employment of one of the women involved in the case and her relationship with the lead investigator. They question why the lead investigator did not recuse himself and why the sheriff's office did not let the local police department handle the case.They also discuss the corruption in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and the questionable decisions made by the sheriff's office. The hosts express their concerns about the stand your ground claim in Deanna's case and the gunshot pattern that suggests she was running away. They also mention the possibility that Megan and Amy were aware that Deanna would be out with friends and drinking before inviting her over. In this part of the conversation, the hosts and Kiah discuss the evidence surrounding the letters and the theory that Deanna was going to pick up a letter on the night she was killed. They explore the text messages and emails between Deanna and Megan, as well as the overheard conversation between Amy and Megan about Deanna going for Megan's purse. They also discuss the possibility that the events of that night were a setup and express frustration with the lack of proper investigation. Kiah shares her feelings of uncertainty and the difficulty of not having closure. The hosts express their dedication to the case and their determination to seek justice for Deanna.Time LineChapters00:00 Introduction and Recap01:25 Former Employment and Relationship with Lead Investigator05:28 Corruption in the Sheriff's Offices09:14 Escambia County's Troubles11:21 Controversial Statement by Sheriff Bob Johnson13:33 Doubts About the Stand Your Ground Claim20:51 Concerns About the Gunshot Pattern21:22 The Evidence Surrounding the Letters22:31 Text Messages and Emails: Clues to Deanna's Intentions23:56 Overheard Conversations: The Purse and the Letter28:27 The Theory of a Setup29:52 Frustration with the Lack of Investigation32:16 Living with Uncertainty and the Search for Closure36:41 Dedication to Seeking Justice for DeannaBe sure to tune into Stand Our Ground with Kiah Penfield HEREGet your tickets for True CrimeFest HERECheck out our other podcastDeep Dark Secrets With LaDonna Humphrey and Amy SmithTrue Crime, Authors and Extraodinary People with David McClamDON'T FORGET TO RATE, COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBEJOIN US ON FACEBOOKSIGN THE DEEP DARK SECRETS PETITION HERESound Mixing and editing by David McClamIntro and outro byJacqueline G. (JacquieVoice) From Fiverr.

In this special re-release, Dr. Stephanie dives deep into Alan's wealth of knowledge, exploring his influential work and notable clients. Alan shares his contributions to scientific literature, from popular magazines to peer-reviewed journals. Alan doesn't just stop at research; he brings his expertise to the field, designing programs for recreational enthusiasts, professional athletes, and everyday individuals striving to be their best.In this episode, Alan and Dr. Stephanie give you a masterclass on protein - from protein timing to optimizing muscle mass, they cover it all. Explore the anabolic window, delve into the world of plant versus animal proteins, and brace yourself for some controversial gems revealed towards the end of the conversation.Resources mentioned in the episode:Alan's AARR Research Review - https://alanaragon.com/aarr/Alan's Book “Flexible Dieting” - https://alanaragon.com/books/Study: How much protein in a single meal can be used for muscle building - https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1Study: Animal vs Plant Protein - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36822394/Quorn Protein - https://www.quorn.us/mycoproteinStudy: SWAP MEAT - https://med.stanford.edu/nutrition/research/completed-studies/SWAPMEATstudy.htmlEpisode Overview:0:00 Intro2:55 The Importance of Flexible Thinking in Nutrition6:24 Understanding What Flexible Dieting Really Means14:21 Alan's Position on Nutrient Timing15:35 The RDA has not been changed since 1980.27:15 Loss of Muscle Mass: The Beginning of the End30:57 Protein Intake for General Population: 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram?35:22 Protein per Meal Concern for the Elderly38:21 The Importance of Protein for Women's Muscle Mass42:16 The Role of Pre-Bed Protein in Muscle Protein Synthesis49:03 Fasting and Autophagy: Understanding the Basics1:00:15 Glycogen Resynthesis and the Importance of Carbohydrate Intake1:03:43 The Theory of the Post-Exercise Anabolic Window1:07:28 Doubts About the Importance of the Anabolic Window and Focus on Nutrient Availability1:12:07 Post-Workout Shake vs Regularly Scheduled Meals1:16:44 Timing and Loading Phase of Creatine Supplementation1:20:33 Simon's Tree-Jacked Hippie Persona1:24:50 Confounding Variation Due to Responders and Non-Responders1:28:14 Study Limitations: Specific Protein Type and Training Status1:31:30 Considering Long-Term Health and Nutritional Factors1:32:51 Concerns About Long-Term Vegetarian/Vegan Diets and Nutrition Deficiencies1:37:25 The Reality of Some People Exiting Veganism for Health ReasonsWe are grateful to our sponsors:ApolloTo get better HRV and improve your deep sleep, head on over to https://apolloneuro.com/better and use code BETTER at checkout to get $50 off at checkout.EquipHave fun hitting your protein goals with grass-fed beef isolate from Equip. Head on over to https://equipfoods.com/better and use code BETTER at checkout, which is going to give you 20% off of your entire cart. 

David Coughlin ble i 1999 drept av sin bestevenn, Raffi Kodikian, på en campingtur i ørkenen i New Mexico, USA. Men hvorfor valgte Kodikian å drepe sin beste venn, og hva skjedde ute i ødemarken i dagene som ledet opp til drapet? Death of David Coughlin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_David_Coughlin Mercy or Murder? Doubts About a Death in Desert https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-03-mn-18196-story.html Two Went Out, One Came Back https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/07/books/two-went-out-one-came-back.html DEATH IN THE DESERT: A NEW LOOK AT THE INVOLUNTARY INTOXICATION DEFENSE IN NEW MEXICO https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/151603932.pdf

In August of 1999,  best friends Raffi Kodikian and David Coughlin set out across the United States on the adventure of a life time. David was leaving Boston Mass. on his way to California to continue his education in  the field of traffic policy analyst. They decided to stop and camp for the night at Rattlesnake Canyon in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, not knowing that the worst days of theirs lives were ahead of them. Sources for this episode are: Murderpedia/ Raffi KodikianLos Angeles Times: Mercy or Murder? Doubts About a Death in the Desert by Pauline Arrillaga Wikipedia for dates and locations.

In August of 1999 two friends on a trip across country stopped for a night in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The trip would soon take a horrific turn, and only one of the men would make it out of the park alive. Although the surviving friend admitted to killing his other friend was it in fact as he said it was- a mercy killing? Have you joined the Facebook group yet? www.facebook.com/thisstoryisnutspodcast Do you have a story and would like to be featured on the show: thisstoryisnuts@gmail.com Sources: Death of David Coughlin - Wikipedia A Death In The Desert Sentence - CBS News Kodikian Sentenced In New Mexico Hiking Death - OutdoorPlaces.Com Mercy or Murder? Doubts About a Death in Desert - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)

Struggling with Doubts About the Quran

Jeffrey Smith is back talking GMOs! Join us as we dive even deeper into the murky world of GMOs and RoundUp. Jeffrey helps bust some myths and explains how we got to where we are now. You want to understand what Roundup (Glyphosate) does to your body so tune in and let Jeffrey explain in layman’s terms.   * * * About Jeffrey Smith Jeffrey is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. He was named the 2017 Person of the Year by Masters of Health Magazine for more than two decades or work in 45 countries exposing how biotech companies mislead policymakers and the public and put the health of society at risk. In 2018, he and Amy Hart released Secret Ingredients, a documentary that highlights numerous individuals and families that healed from serious conditions after switching to an organic diet. His feature-length documentary, Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives was awarded the 2012 Movie of the Year, and inspired millions worldwide to choose healthier non-GMO foods. His books include Seeds of Deception, it is the world's bestseller on GMOs, and Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. He has counseled government leaders and healthcare practitioners from every continent and has been quoted by thousands of news outlets, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time Magazine. He appears on influential radio and television programs, including the BBC, NPR, Fox News, Democracy Now, The Doctors, and the Dr. Oz Show.    Secret Ingredients - SecretIngredientsMovie.com “The most effective and efficient tool at convincing people that they absolutely have to eat organic immediately”, Jeffrey Smith In the film, all these people get better from different diseases and disorders just after switching to organic food. then they realize the role of the food and the secret ingredients in the food   GMOs That Are Sprayed With Roundup Soy Corn Cotton (for cottonseed oil) Canola Sugar Beets Alfalfa Zucchini Yellow Squash Papaya - from China & Hawaii Potatoes and Apples (engineered not to go brown) Can change expression in our bodies - very dangerous In fact, the person who made the potato, the scientist who first worked at Monsanto and then later at J.R. Simplot, Cauis Rommens, wrote a book after that, Pandora's Potato is the Worst GMO. He realized after he retired that it was a travesty and could be causing massive damage to health.   Other Mom-GMO Crops That Are Regularly Sprayed With Roundup Grains Beans Sunflowers Kiwi Citrus Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Vineyards ...and more!   What Roundup (Glyphosate) Does To Your Body It's primary poison is called glyphosate. Glyphosate was patented as a chelator. It chelates with all sorts of minerals making them unavailable, and these are the minerals we want to have available. . The reason it was patented, it was patented as a descaler to clean the mineral deposits inside industrial boilers and pipes. So it was a cleaning chemical. It kills the beneficial bacteria in the soil and also in our guts, but not the nasty pathogens. It blocks the shikimate pathway which is a seven-step metabolic route used by cells to function. The shikimate pathway is used by gut bacteria to produce the precursors to; serotonin, melatonin, dopamine. Causes a leaky gut. “When you take human cells in a Petri dish that are bound tightly together with tight junctions, and you add Roundup in that Petri dish, they separate. So it loses the tight junctions. If that happens inside our gut, that's leaky gut.” Linked to birth defects. Linked to increased cancer numbers.   An Activist’s Timeline IRT started talking about the health dangers early on, 1996. Jeffrey published Seeds of Deception in 2003. It became a world best seller. He traveled all over the world with that book. People started changing the way they're talking about GMOs. Starting around 2010, I found that people who had been reading my books and reading my articles which were not lightweight. They were detailed and long as to ensure understanding of all the issues we faced with GMOs and glyphosate. In 2010, IRT created the Tipping Point Network of groups. In 2010 the Non-GMO Project came up. Started to verify products. There was a flood of people trying to get their products, Non-GMO Project verified so that they would get a boost in sales. So there was an 18-month waiting list for getting their verification. In 2012, he released the movie Genetic Roulette, and also there was a ballot initiative in California for labeling. Between the two of them, the number of people that were concerned about the health dangers in GMOs went from 51% in 2012 to 61% in 2013. Whole Foods, in 2013, said at the Natural Foods Expo West, "We're going to require products to be either organic, certified, or Non-GMO Project verified by 2018, or they will be considered GMOs." They also mentioned that when a product becomes non-GMO verified, there's an increase in sales at 15 to 30%. That was the tipping point for the natural products industry. At the beginning of 2014, other products started to do the same, who are not in the natural products industry, first was Cheerios, and then Grape-Nuts. It started in 2014 in the mainstream, and now it's 46% of Americans say they're seeking non-GMO food. All the major food companies are putting more and more effort into replacing the GM ingredients due to consumer demand. Then comes along 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, determines that glyphosate is a class two A carcinogen. In particularly for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Now, the lawyers are involved because of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and they started to defend and take on cases of people that had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that were using Roundup, or the survivors. And winning.     Myths Busted   GMOs are the same as Crossbreeding The FDA scientists have said GMOs are different, lead to different risks, compared to natural breeding. George Wald, the Noble Laureate, said the same thing. Belinda Martineau, who did the first GMO tomato. It's no longer on the market. She says, "Of course it's not an extension of natural breeding. It's different. It leads to different risks. It creates massive collateral damage that's not seen in nature. Those mutations can be dangerous. A single point mutation can kill someone, and there can be hundreds or thousands of them when you do these transformations with genetic engineering."   GMOs Increase Average Yield & Help Feed the World Over 400 scientists contributed to a document for the United Nations. The most comprehensive evaluation, how to feed the world. What do they say about GMOs? Doesn't apply. It's not a solution. It does not have any positive impact to feed the hungry world, eradicate poverty, or create sustainable agriculture. The NY Times’ article agrees. Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops It doesn't increase average yield, and yet agroecology and things like beyond organic can double yields in developing countries.      Deeper Dive Resources   Secret Ingredients - The Movie https://in188.isrefer.com/go/sifs/Organixx/   BOOK: Seeds of Deception https://amzn.to/2DC5N9O   BOOK: Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods https://amzn.to/2Jbcpj5   Institute of Responsible Technology https://responsibletechnology.org/   Pets & GMOs https://petsandgmos.com/   Shikimate Pathway https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15012217   Controversy Around the Séralini Study in 2012 https://www.gmoseralini.org/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-seralini-study/ https://www.gmoseralini.org/retraction-by-corruption-seralini-study/ http://www.seralini.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Novotny-JBPC-2018-On-Seralini-FCT-retraction.pdf   Laboratory Rodent Diets Contain Toxic Levels of Environmental Contaminants: Implications for Regulatory Tests https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4489719/   Transcriptome profile analysis reflects rat liver and kidney damage following chronic ultra-low dose Roundup exposure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26302742   Glyphosate Causes Serious Multi-Generational Health Damage to Rats – New WSU Research https://responsibletechnology.org/glyphosate-causes-serious-multi-generational-health-damage-to-rats-new-wsu-research/   RoundUp Risks Website https://rounduprisks.com/   Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(98)05860-7/fulltext   New UN Report: Pesticides Don’t Feed the World https://civileats.com/2017/03/13/new-un-report-pesticides-dont-feed-the-world/   BOOK: Pandora's Potatoes: The Worst GMOs https://amzn.to/2GV8NA0   Non-GMO Project https://www.nongmoproject.org/product-verification/ https://www.nongmoproject.org/about/   USDA Certified Organic https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic

Jeffrey Smith is back talking GMOs! Join us as we dive even deeper into the murky world of GMOs and RoundUp. Jeffrey helps bust some myths and explains how we got to where we are now. You want to understand what Roundup (Glyphosate) does to your body so tune in and let Jeffrey explain in layman’s terms.   * * * About Jeffrey Smith Jeffrey is the founding executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology and the leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices. He was named the 2017 Person of the Year by Masters of Health Magazine for more than two decades or work in 45 countries exposing how biotech companies mislead policymakers and the public and put the health of society at risk. In 2018, he and Amy Hart released Secret Ingredients, a documentary that highlights numerous individuals and families that healed from serious conditions after switching to an organic diet. His feature-length documentary, Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives was awarded the 2012 Movie of the Year, and inspired millions worldwide to choose healthier non-GMO foods. His books include Seeds of Deception, it is the world's bestseller on GMOs, and Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. He has counseled government leaders and healthcare practitioners from every continent and has been quoted by thousands of news outlets, including The New York Times, the Washington Post, and Time Magazine. He appears on influential radio and television programs, including the BBC, NPR, Fox News, Democracy Now, The Doctors, and the Dr. Oz Show.    Secret Ingredients - SecretIngredientsMovie.com “The most effective and efficient tool at convincing people that they absolutely have to eat organic immediately”, Jeffrey Smith In the film, all these people get better from different diseases and disorders just after switching to organic food. then they realize the role of the food and the secret ingredients in the food   GMOs That Are Sprayed With Roundup Soy Corn Cotton (for cottonseed oil) Canola Sugar Beets Alfalfa Zucchini Yellow Squash Papaya - from China & Hawaii Potatoes and Apples (engineered not to go brown) Can change expression in our bodies - very dangerous In fact, the person who made the potato, the scientist who first worked at Monsanto and then later at J.R. Simplot, Cauis Rommens, wrote a book after that, Pandora's Potato is the Worst GMO. He realized after he retired that it was a travesty and could be causing massive damage to health.   Other Mom-GMO Crops That Are Regularly Sprayed With Roundup Grains Beans Sunflowers Kiwi Citrus Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Vineyards ...and more!   What Roundup (Glyphosate) Does To Your Body It's primary poison is called glyphosate. Glyphosate was patented as a chelator. It chelates with all sorts of minerals making them unavailable, and these are the minerals we want to have available. . The reason it was patented, it was patented as a descaler to clean the mineral deposits inside industrial boilers and pipes. So it was a cleaning chemical. It kills the beneficial bacteria in the soil and also in our guts, but not the nasty pathogens. It blocks the shikimate pathway which is a seven-step metabolic route used by cells to function. The shikimate pathway is used by gut bacteria to produce the precursors to; serotonin, melatonin, dopamine. Causes a leaky gut. “When you take human cells in a Petri dish that are bound tightly together with tight junctions, and you add Roundup in that Petri dish, they separate. So it loses the tight junctions. If that happens inside our gut, that's leaky gut.” Linked to birth defects. Linked to increased cancer numbers.   An Activist’s Timeline IRT started talking about the health dangers early on, 1996. Jeffrey published Seeds of Deception in 2003. It became a world best seller. He traveled all over the world with that book. People started changing the way they're talking about GMOs. Starting around 2010, I found that people who had been reading my books and reading my articles which were not lightweight. They were detailed and long as to ensure understanding of all the issues we faced with GMOs and glyphosate. In 2010, IRT created the Tipping Point Network of groups. In 2010 the Non-GMO Project came up. Started to verify products. There was a flood of people trying to get their products, Non-GMO Project verified so that they would get a boost in sales. So there was an 18-month waiting list for getting their verification. In 2012, he released the movie Genetic Roulette, and also there was a ballot initiative in California for labeling. Between the two of them, the number of people that were concerned about the health dangers in GMOs went from 51% in 2012 to 61% in 2013. Whole Foods, in 2013, said at the Natural Foods Expo West, "We're going to require products to be either organic, certified, or Non-GMO Project verified by 2018, or they will be considered GMOs." They also mentioned that when a product becomes non-GMO verified, there's an increase in sales at 15 to 30%. That was the tipping point for the natural products industry. At the beginning of 2014, other products started to do the same, who are not in the natural products industry, first was Cheerios, and then Grape-Nuts. It started in 2014 in the mainstream, and now it's 46% of Americans say they're seeking non-GMO food. All the major food companies are putting more and more effort into replacing the GM ingredients due to consumer demand. Then comes along 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, determines that glyphosate is a class two A carcinogen. In particularly for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Now, the lawyers are involved because of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and they started to defend and take on cases of people that had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that were using Roundup, or the survivors. And winning.     Myths Busted   GMOs are the same as Crossbreeding The FDA scientists have said GMOs are different, lead to different risks, compared to natural breeding. George Wald, the Noble Laureate, said the same thing. Belinda Martineau, who did the first GMO tomato. It's no longer on the market. She says, "Of course it's not an extension of natural breeding. It's different. It leads to different risks. It creates massive collateral damage that's not seen in nature. Those mutations can be dangerous. A single point mutation can kill someone, and there can be hundreds or thousands of them when you do these transformations with genetic engineering."   GMOs Increase Average Yield & Help Feed the World Over 400 scientists contributed to a document for the United Nations. The most comprehensive evaluation, how to feed the world. What do they say about GMOs? Doesn't apply. It's not a solution. It does not have any positive impact to feed the hungry world, eradicate poverty, or create sustainable agriculture. The NY Times’ article agrees. Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops It doesn't increase average yield, and yet agroecology and things like beyond organic can double yields in developing countries.      Deeper Dive Resources   Secret Ingredients - The Movie https://in188.isrefer.com/go/sifs/Organixx/   BOOK: Seeds of Deception https://amzn.to/2DC5N9O   BOOK: Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods https://amzn.to/2Jbcpj5   Institute of Responsible Technology https://responsibletechnology.org/   Pets & GMOs https://petsandgmos.com/   Shikimate Pathway https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15012217   Controversy Around the Séralini Study in 2012 https://www.gmoseralini.org/ten-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-seralini-study/ https://www.gmoseralini.org/retraction-by-corruption-seralini-study/ http://www.seralini.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Novotny-JBPC-2018-On-Seralini-FCT-retraction.pdf   Laboratory Rodent Diets Contain Toxic Levels of Environmental Contaminants: Implications for Regulatory Tests https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4489719/   Transcriptome profile analysis reflects rat liver and kidney damage following chronic ultra-low dose Roundup exposure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26302742   Glyphosate Causes Serious Multi-Generational Health Damage to Rats – New WSU Research https://responsibletechnology.org/glyphosate-causes-serious-multi-generational-health-damage-to-rats-new-wsu-research/   RoundUp Risks Website https://rounduprisks.com/   Effect of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(98)05860-7/fulltext   New UN Report: Pesticides Don’t Feed the World https://civileats.com/2017/03/13/new-un-report-pesticides-dont-feed-the-world/   BOOK: Pandora's Potatoes: The Worst GMOs https://amzn.to/2GV8NA0   Non-GMO Project https://www.nongmoproject.org/product-verification/ https://www.nongmoproject.org/about/   USDA Certified Organic https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic

Have you ever wished you really understood genetic modification and food engineering? What does it really mean for us? Is it good? Is it bad? Who decides? We know these technologies aren't going away. But, can science answer values questions?   Join us to discuss cutting-edge genetic research and its impacts on food and farming. What ethical questions do the technologies raise?   Links mentioned in the episode:   Synthetic biology products database: http://database.synbiowatch.org/ NY Times articles about older GMOs; not synthetic biology, but the danger is the same with synthetic biology: sometimes we believe the hype about benefits and ignore the risks:   Monsanto Weed Killer Roundup Faces New Doubts on Safety in Unsealed Documents https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/monsanto-roundup-safety-lawsuit.html Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/business/gmo-promise-falls-short.html?_r=0 Church positions on synthetic biology: Commission of the Bishop’s Conferences of the European Community http://www.comece.eu/dl/KptMJKJOOMLJqx4KJK/20160119_SyntheticBIO_EN.pdf   Church of Scotland http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3793/synthetic_biology_report.pdf   Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers) http://quakerservice.ca/SBIssues The Quakers also produce general updates about twice a year with simple info on some of the applications of synthetic biology. These are available for download at: http://quakerservice.ca/SyntheticBiology

Links No Dirt Gardening! http://wp.me/s5Cqpo-55805 A "Natural" Experiment: GMO farming. http://wp.me/p5Cqpo-ewG **** This is the World Organic News Podcast for the week ending 27th of March 2017. Jon Moore reporting! We begin this week with post from farmer406: No Dirt? No problem: Strawbale Gardening. Quote: The concept of growing food from a bale of straw was odd at first until I thought it through. Commercial growers have been using alternative growing mediums for years, so why not scale it down for the backyard Do-It-Yourselfer? It is, of course, different than growing in dirt. End quote. The idea is to line up a row of straw bales into garden beds. Turn the bales so as to have the stems facing vertically and the bale twine on the sides. This allows for better water retention and the twine doesn’t rot as quickly, usually lasting the entire first season. The bales are then wetted and some sort of fertiliser added to the top. This done to start the decomposition process. A fish and or kelp based fertiliser is applied and the bales begin to decompose. Into the spaces between the lines of straw, seedlings or seeds are placed. Continue as per any other garden bed. The advantages of this system are numerous. Good organic matter, great drainage, heated beds at the start of Spring (from the decomposition process), no digging (always a plus for me), almost non existent weed issues, especially if the bales are clean of weeds to start with and a ready made pile of organic matter for next seasons garden beds. This also a great way to start gardening on compacted soils, thin soils, soils likely to be a bit wet at the start of Spring and excessively sandy soils. All these conditions, except for the excess water require the incorporation of organic matter to render them suitable for gardening. With straw bale gardens you start the process above the soil and let the soil biota, earthworms and microbia do the incorporating for you. I used a variation of this method by using the straw a bedding for dairy goats over winter and piling the bedding, complete with manures and urine, into garden beds. In all cases the organic matter boost and a food harvest is the outcome. I have also seen these done with spoiled bales of lucerne hay, that’s alfalfa for those listening in the Americas. To my mind this is overkill but it does bump up the nitrogen levels especially in the second season so it might be an option depending upon your rotation plans. However you do it, it is a viable option as far as I can see. Compared to our next post: Doubts About the Promised Bounty of Genetically Modified Crops as reported in the blog: SEPTISPHERE. To sum up the thrust of the post before we dig a little deeper, Quote: Twenty years ago, Europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the United States and Canada were embracing it. Comparing results on the two continents, using independent data as well as academic and industry research, shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise. End quote. The big sales pitch with GMOs back in the late 1908s and 1990s was the promised reduction in pesticides. This has occurred but not in isolation. Whilst the pesticide use has fallen, it is still being used and alongside this use is a huge jump in herbicide use. Let me explain the process of GMO farming. GMO seeds are designed to be resistant to pests and to withstand the application of herbicides. That being the case, each cell of the GMO plant contains a pesticide which is deadly to insects and, apparently, safe for humans and other non insect animals to consume. Therefore there is no need to spray insecticides. Now the resistance to herbicides means a farmer doesn’t need to till between the rows of plants to remove weeds. They just need to spray a herbicide, a herbicide who’s patent coincidently is owned by the GMO seed producers. So the claimed benefits of GMO farming are less pesticides, less tillage and better weed destruction. The reality is a little more complex. The one thing which appears to have been overlooked is a thing the scientific community like to call: Evolution. “How does that work in this situation?”, I hear you ask. Well, I’m glad you asked. By spraying the one herbicide the GMO plants were resistant too, glyphosate, you might know it as Roundup, over the populations of weeds, year in and year out, the farmer is in reality changing the local environment of the weed species. Creating a new ecological niche is another way to think of it. Once the weeds were growing in competition to the plough, the crop and the application of herbicides, now the weeds species are living in a niche where resistance to the herbicide alone will ensure reproductive success. It is worth remembering that reproductive success within a given niche is the sole purpose of the evolutionary process. So not surprisingly, over time, the GMO farming sector has been carefully selecting for weed species with an ability to survive being sprayed by Roundup and then reproducing. Even less surprising is the seeds these plants scatter on their demise are, mostly, also resistant to Roundup. It would appear the resistance to Roundup is on a sliding scale and so further applications of this herbicide were found to be effective at removing many of these semi-resistant individual plants. Can you see where this is heading? Yes, much more herbicide is used in the USA and Canada than in Europe. Ah but I hear you cry, much lest pesticide is also used in North America. Yes but so too is that figure falling in Europe, mainly through the use of ecological methods such as crop rotations, companion planting, interplanting and the retention of hedging which acts a base for insect eating birds and predatory insect species. Toss in the World Health Organisations findings in 2016 that Glyphosate is a probable carcinogen and the longer term prospects for GMO farming look poor. Remember glyphosate is marketed as Roundup the most ubiquitously used herbicide in not just agricultural settings but also in suburban gardens and local authority weed reduction plans. If only ten percent of us turned those lawns into straw bale gardens, the use of glyphosate would plummet. The two posts I’ve highlighted this week represent alternative ends of the agricultural spectrum. We have, in the West, since the second world war handed over our food production from the garden level to the industrial. If you think of the health changes in that time, one thing stands out. Body mass, in the both West and the industrialising nations of the world. The experiment has been run on the GMO method and the side effects are, I believe, not worth the expense. So line up your straw bales, shorten your supply lines and taste real food again! And that brings us to the end of this week’s podcast. If you’ve liked what you heard, please tell everyone you know any way you can! I’d also really appreciate a review on iTunes. This helps others to find us. Thanks in advance! Any suggestions, feedback or criticisms of the podcast or blog are most welcome. email me at podcast@worldorganicnews.com. Thank you for listening and I'll be back in a week. **** Links No Dirt Gardening! http://wp.me/s5Cqpo-55805 A "Natural" Experiment: GMO farming. http://wp.me/p5Cqpo-ewG